The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 of Swiss Patent Application No. 2000 2124/00, filed on Oct. 31, 2000, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns an arrangement of conjunction based on form contact of two panels, and in particular, two essentially horizontal panels of a piece of furniture.
2. Description of Related Art
In manufacturing furniture and, in particular, in the manufacturing of furniture composed of a plurality of components such as racks, shelves, book shelves, and similar items, problems arise with arriving at an arrangement or system of joining individual components. Some of these problems relate to an inability of manufacturing and/or assembling the components quickly. Another problem relates to an inability of ensuring perfect positioning of the components and/or their absolute stability. It is also difficult to design a high degree of solidity to the whole piece of furniture, especially when it is also desired to manufacture furniture which does not cost too much. Another problem relates to designing the furniture so that it can be assembled, mounted, and/or dismantled without the use of special tools, i.e., in such a manner that any user without special skills can perform these operations.
Innumerable solutions are known according to the state of the art for solving some of these problems. The most common solutions, and the ones most commonly applied today, provide for the use of nuts and bolts for joining the furniture pieces. Another solution combines the use of special inserts. Such solutions are known to the specialist in the field, and presently also to many less experienced users. However, these solutions are characterized in that they are complicated to manufacture. They also create problems in handling, during assembly, and/or dismantling because they require the use of tools, and in many cases, the use of special devices.
According to the state of the art, conjunction systems are known for joining furniture components in which no nuts and bolts or inserts are used. Such systems thus come closer to an objective of the present invention. However, these systems have failed to offer many, if not all, the advantages found in the invention.
WO 92/05724 discloses a system for modular furniture with interchangeable components used for joining essentially horizontal furniture elements. This system uses cylindrical pins that are placed in the upper surfaces of the lower components so as to penetrate into corresponding cylindrical bores in the lower surfaces of the upper components. This arrangement, of course, could be switched the other way around as well, with the cylindrical pins being placed in the lower surfaces of the upper components so as to penetrate into corresponding cylindrical bores in the upper surfaces of the lower components. The disadvantage of this known system of joining two essentially horizontal panels relates to the fact that the pins must be placed into the panels (or to a part of the panels, respectively) so as to stick out or protrude therefrom. Such an arrangement always causes problems because damage can occur to the pins, as well as to other surfaces of the furniture components. Furthermore, it is obvious that the cylindrical pins, in order to allow for easy penetration into the corresponding cylindrical bores of the counter piece, must be positioned with greatest precision. This can prove especially difficult when the size of the panels is taken into account. Such a design is also vulnerable to variations in the positions and dimensions of the pins and bores which can vary as a result of air condition changes (e.g., humidity, temperature). This system of conjunction, which somehow resembles the well-known Lego(copyright) cubes, thus cannot satisfy many if not all the requirements in connection to the conjunction based on form contact of two essentially horizontal panels.
Another system of quick conjunction of elements to be joined is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,021. This arrangement uses a system, known as such from many applications in mechanics, of a ball or sphere which penetrates into a dilatable recess whose diameter is essentially smaller than the one of the sphere. As the sphere penetrates into the recess (which can be formed by an elastic rim as in the case shown there, or of a ring-shaped spring elastically deformable radially, which is inserted into the actual recess) there is provided a more or less fixed xe2x80x9csnap-onxe2x80x9d joint. According to such an arrangement, the two parts to be joined are blocked against each other and the arrangement can be considered as a fixation (in a proper sense) of the parts. The parts can indeed be separated from each other, but only by overcoming the radial force exerted by the rim of the recess, which is narrower than the ball or sphere. In one of the more common design examples provided, e.g. for joining linked activating rods of mechanisms, this solution, even if it remains a snap-on fixation, permits relative movements of one part against the other. Moreover, the center of the movement is the center of the sphere. This solution, in addition to the disadvantage of forming a xe2x80x9csnap-onxe2x80x9d fixation, and thus requiring the application of force to separate the components, represents a rather complicated solution. This is because of the deformation mechanism of the rim of the recess. This solution also causes problems with precision, such as when two panels are to be joined with two or more conjunction devices.
Another proposal, known from DE 197 39 040, provides for the possibility of assembling cube-shaped units in almost any configuration. Each face of the cube, which is open on one side so as to form a shelf, presents recesses which are symmetrically arranged on all faces in such a manner that as any desired faces of two cubes are joined, i.e., they can be joined using the recesses that correspond to each other. A connecting element in the form of a pin is also shown and this pin penetrates into a sleeve. This document is of interest in assembling pieces of furniture composed of a plurality of components. However, it is not of particular value concerning the system of conjunction because it does not go further than the fixed insert.
From French document FR 2 584 904, an arrangement for conjunction is known for furniture of variable geometry, in particular, for small low tables that can be extended. One or more lower parts of the table is/are connected with an upper part using movable rolls or movable spheres provided in suitable grooves. The purpose of this type of conjunction is to create a well defined freedom of movement of one part of the piece of furniture with respect to another one, i.e., this design merely provides for a to and from translation movement. The application of rolls or spheres in this arrangement does not serve for creating a stable conjunction between two elements, i.e., a guide arrangement only permits movement of one part relative to the other ones. Accordingly, this solution can not be applied for meeting the objective of the present invention as described herein.
The invention provides for a method of connecting or joining at least two panels in a piece of furniture. The method includes providing a first panel, wherein the first panel includes a surface having at least one recess, providing a second panel, wherein the second panel includes a surface having at least one recess, arranging the surface of the first panel adjacent the surface of the second panel, and connecting the first panel to the second panel using at least one sphere, wherein the sphere projects into the at least one recess of each of the first and the second panels.
One of the at least one recess of the first panel and the at least one recess of the second panel may comprise an approximately square shaped cross-sectional opening. The square shaped cross-sectional opening may have a width, a length which perfectly equals the width, and a depth which essentially equals half the width. The sphere may comprise a diameter which is approximately equal to the width. Each of the first and second panels may be provided with at least two recesses. The method may further comprise forming the at least two recesses on the surface of the first panel in a first configuration and forming the at least two recesses on the surface of the second panel in a second configuration, the first configuration being a mirror image configuration of the second configuration.
One of the at least one recess of the first panel and the at least one recess of the second panel may comprise an approximately cylindrically shaped opening. The cylindrically shaped opening may have a circular width and a depth which equals approximately half the circular width. The sphere may comprise a diameter which is approximately equal to the circular width. One of the at least one recess of the first panel and the at least one recess of the second panel may comprise an approximately spherical shaped opening. The spherical shaped opening may have a diameter and a depth which equals approximately half the diameter. The sphere may comprise a diameter which is approximately equal to the diameter of the spherical shaped opening. Each of the at least one recesses may comprise a hemispheric shape.
The sphere comprises at least one of a metal ball, a steel ball, a stainless steel, and a ball bearing. The method may further comprise providing a clearance between the sphere and the at least one recess of at least one of the first and the second panels. The method may further comprise forming the at least two recesses on the surface of the first panel in a first configuration and forming the at least two recesses on the surface of the second panel in a second configuration, the first configuration being dimensioned to correspond to the second configuration and to account for tolerance differences between the first and second configurations.
A diameter of the sphere may be in the range of approximately 10 mm to approximately 15 mm. A diameter of the sphere may be approximately 13 mm. The method may further comprise providing a clearance between the sphere and the at least one recess of at least one of the first and the second panels, whereby the clearance is in the range of between approximately 0.3 mm to approximately 0.5 mm. Each of the first and second panels may be horizontally arranged.
The invention also provides for a piece of furniture including at least two panels which are connected or joined together. The piece of furniture comprises a first panel having a surface with at least one recess and a second panel having a surface with at least one recess. The surface of the first panel is arranged adjacent to the surface of the second panel. The first panel is connected to the second panel using at least one sphere. The sphere projects into the at least one recess of each of the first and the second panels.
One of the at least one recess of the first panel and the at least one recess of the second panel may comprise an approximately square shaped cross-sectional opening. The square shaped cross-sectional opening may have a width, a length which perfectly equals the width, and a depth which essentially equals half the width. The sphere may comprise a diameter which is approximately equal to the width. Each of the first and second panels may be provided with at least two recesses. The at least two recesses on the surface of the first panel may be arranged in a first configuration and the at least two recesses on the surface of the second panel may be arranged in a second configuration, the first configuration being a mirror image configuration of the second configuration.
One of the at least one recess of the first panel and the at least one recess of the second panel may comprise an approximately cylindrical shaped opening. The cylindrical shaped opening may have a circular width and a depth which equals approximately half the circular width. The sphere may comprise a diameter which is approximately equal to the circular width. One of the at least one recess of the first panel and the at least one recess of the second panel may comprise an approximately spherical shaped opening. The spherical shaped opening may have a diameter and a depth which equals approximately half the diameter. The sphere may comprise a diameter which is approximately equal to the diameter of the spherical shaped opening. Each of the at least one recesses may comprise a hemispheric shape.
The sphere may comprise at least one of a metal ball, a steel ball, a stainless steel, and a ball bearing. The piece of furniture may further comprise a clearance between the sphere and the at least one recess of at least one of the first and the second panels. The piece of furniture may further comprise at least two recesses on the surface of the first panel arranged in a first configuration and at least two recesses on the surface of the second panel arranged in a second configuration, the first configuration being dimensioned to correspond to the second configuration and to account for tolerance differences between the first and second configurations.
A diameter of the sphere may be in the range of approximately 10 mm to approximately 15 mm. The diameter of the sphere may be approximately 13 mm. The piece of furniture may further comprise a clearance between the sphere and the at least one recess of at least one of the first and the second panels, whereby the clearance is in the range of between approximately 0.3 mm to approximately 0.5 mm. Each of the first and second panels may be horizontally arranged.
The invention further provides for a piece of furniture including at least two components which are connected or joined together. The piece of furniture comprises a first component having a first horizontal panel and a first vertical panel. At least the first horizontal panel includes at least one recess. A second component having a second horizontal panel and a second vertical panel is provided. At least the second horizontal panel includes at least one recess. The first horizontal panel is arranged adjacent to the second horizontal panel. The first horizontal panel is connected to the second horizontal panel using at least one mechanism. The at least one mechanism is freely movably mounted within and projects into each of the at least one recess of each of the first and the second horizontal panels.
The at least two components are modular components adapted to form at least one of a bookshelf, a rack, and a shelf. At least one of the at least two components includes at least one of a door and a glass pane.
The term xe2x80x9cessentially horizontal panelsxe2x80x9d is understood to signify that the position of the two panels, which must be parallel to each other, does not deviate much from the horizontal position, i.e., an arrangement in which a deviation from the horizontal is not of many degrees (e.g. of 10xc2x0). In particular, a criterion in determining whether two panels are essentially horizontal is seen in the fact that they do not slide, if placed on top of each other, under the influence of gravity force, overcoming the friction between their surfaces.
The term xe2x80x9cessentially (or xe2x80x9capproximatelyxe2x80x9d) equal dimensionsxe2x80x9d among the panels, e.g. that xe2x80x9cthe depth of the recess is essentially equal to half its widthxe2x80x9d or that xe2x80x9cthe diameter of the sphere is essentially (or xe2x80x9capproximatelyxe2x80x9d) equal to the width of the recessxe2x80x9d are understood to signify that such dimensions can take inevitable manufacturing tolerances into account, the recesses thus always being somewhat larger than the spheres placed into them, be it for not forcing the spheres into the recesses, or be it for taking into account the manufacturing tolerances in the distances between the recesses, or be it, lastly, for taking into account the natural variability of such distances due to dilatations to which the material of the panel can be subjected.